Air-control system for furnaces.



W. H. BRADLEY.

AIR CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FURNACES.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 29. I916.

Patented Apr. 10, 1917.

WILLIAM H. BRADLEY, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

AIR-CONTROL SYSTEM FOR FURNACES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 14), 191?.

Application filed February 29, 1916. Serial No. 81,131.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IVILLIAM H. BRADLEY,-

ing is a full, clear, and exact description,

reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming part of this specification, in which the figure is a longitudinal vertical section, partly diagrammatic, illustrating one form of my invention.

My invention has relation to an air control system which is particularly adapted to reversing regenerative furnaces, such as open hearth furnaces.

' The object of my invention is to provide means whereby the air supply passing through the furnace checkers may be automatically controlled by pressure conditions in the furnace, so that the amount of air supplied will be dependent upon such conditions In connection with the automatic control, I also supply manually controlled means which may be operated when neces sary to supplement the automatic control, or to take care of special conditions.

My invention is applicable'to either one or a plurality of furnaces. In the latter case, all the furnaces may be supplied from a common air line, but each furnace is provided-with its own independent control.

Referring to the accompanying drawing, the numerals 2 designate the valve casings or chambers of two furnace reversing valves which cont-rolthe several ports 4 leading through the regenerators to the furnace, and to the stack, in the usual way. 5 designates any suitable actuating mechanisms for said valves. The parts thus far described are well known in the art and do not require further detailed description.

In accordance with my invention, I pro- 'vide an air supply pipe or main 6, which is common to all the furnaces to be controlled, and which has branch pipes 7. One of these pipes extends into each valve casing 2. 8 designates pressure devices, each of which is arranged to actuate a control valve 9, one of these valves being located in each branch pipe 7 each pipe having its own pressure controlling device. These pressure devices may be of any suitable form. I have illustrated them as being manometers of the gasometer type. The movable member 10 of each of these devices has an actuating connection 11 with a lever arm 12 connected to the stem of one of the valves 9. These lever arms are preferably counterweighted, as indicated at 13. Leading from the branch pipe 7 into the upper portion of each pressure device is an air pipe 14. It will bereadily seen that the pressure in this pipe 14 and hence the pressure in the manometer, will correspond to the pressure in the furnaces, thereby actuating the valve 9 to effeet a corresponding increase or decrease in the amount of air supplied. For instance, if the pressure in the furnace, and checkers unduly increases by reason of too great an air supply, the valve 9 will be partially closed to correspondingly decrease the air supply. In this manner the amount of air supplied to each furnace is automatically controlled to give the proper amount required for perfect combustion under varying furnace conditions, and unconsumed gas, due to insufficient air supply, is thus prevented from passing into the furnace from the checkers. I also preferably provide each valve casing 2 with an auxiliary air supply 15. These auxiliary supplies are controlled by valves 16 which may be provided with operating shafts or spindles 17 extending up to the charging floor 18. I also preferably provide each pipe 7 with a gate valve 19 and with a hand controlled valve 20. The latter may also be provided with an actuating connection 21 extending up to the charging floor. These hand valves provide for any supplemental regulation which may be necessary to meet special con ditions. The gate valves 19 enable the air supply to be entirely shut off from each furnace when desired and thus prevent leakage past the valves 9.

The advantages of my invention will be apparent to those familiar with the operaation of reversing renegerative furnaces, since it provides simple and effective means by which the amount of air supplied to each furnace is automatically controlled in ac cordance with the requirements of the furnace.

It will be obvious that various changes can be made in the details of construction and arrangement of the parts thus, as before indicated, instead of the particular form of pressure devices which I have shown and described, various other types of devices can be used which are responsive to pressure changes in the furnace, and which have a movable member which 0211 be connected to the control valve. The invention is also applicable to reversing valves of other types, and various other changes can be made.

I claim:

1. The combination with a valve chamber or casing of a reversing regenerative furnace, of an air supply pipe arranged to deliver air to said chamber or casing, means for forcing air through said pipe, a control valve in said pipe, an actuatin device for said. valve, and means where y pressure changes in the pipe between the valve and furnace effect the operation of said device; substantially as described.

2. The combination with a valve chamher or casing of a reversing regenerative furnace, of an air supply pipe arranged to deliver air into said chamber or casing, means for forcing air through said pipe, a control valve in said pipe, a pressure device operatively connected to said valve, and a pressure connection leading to said device from the pipe between the valve and the furnace; substantially as described.

3. The combination with a valve chamber or casing of a reversing regenerative furnace, of an air supply pipe arranged to deliver air into said chamber or casing, means for forcing air through said pipe, a control valve in said pipe, a pressure device operatively connected to said valve, and pressure connections leading to said device from the pipe between the'control valve and the furnace, together with an auxiliary controlled valve in said pipe between the first mentioned valve and the furnace; substantially as described.

4. The combination with a valve chamber or casing, of an air supply pipe arranged to deliver air into said chamber or casing, means for forcing air through said pipe, a control valve in said pipe, a pressure device operatively connected to said valve, a pressure connection leading to said device from the pipe between the valve and the furnace, said valve casing also having another airinlet and a manually controlled valve therefor; substantially as described.

5. The combination with the valve casings of a plurality of reversing regenerative furnaces, of an air supply pipe or main common to all furnaces and having branch pipes, a blower for continuously forcing air through the trunk one of said branch pipes leading to the valve casing of each furnace, a control valve in each of the branch pipes, a separate pressure device for actuating each valve, each of said pressure-devices having a pressure connection leading thereto from the delivery side of said valve; substantially as described.

6. The combination with a casing of a reversing valve of a reversing regenerative furnace, of an air supply pipe leading into said casing, means for forcing air through said pipe, a control valve in said pipe, a manometer operatively connected to said valve, and a pressure connection leading from the manometer to the pipe between the valve and the furnace to maintain a constant pressure within said pipe; substantially as described.

7. The combination with a furnace, of an air supply pipe therefor, means for forcing air through said pipe, a control valve in said pipe, an actuating device for said valve, and a connection from said pipe to the actuating device for said valve, said connection extending from a point between the valve and the furnace whereby pressure changes in the pipe effect the movement of the control valve to maintain a constant pressure within said pipe; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand.

WILLIAM H. BRADLEY.

Witnesses:

H. M. CORWIN, GEO. H. PARMELEE. 

